Fungus Growing at Chernobyl Could Protect Astronauts From Cosmic Rays

Posted on by

Scientists have a bizarre idea for protecting astronauts from cosmic rays: Shield them with the radiation-absorbing fungus near Chernobyl.

Space Shields

One of the biggest challenges facing crewed missions to Mars is figuring out how to protect crewmembers from the onslaught of deadly cosmic rays.

Now, scientists at a number of universities say there’s growing evidence that an unusual solution could be effective: building shields out of a radiation-absorbing fungus that grows near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. New Scientist reports that the fungus was able to block some cosmic rays after a small test on the International Space Station, giving hope for safe space travel in the future.

Light Armor

The Johns Hopkins University and Stanford scientists behind the ISS study, which was shared online last week, found that an extremely thin sample of the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans was able to block and absorb two percent of the cosmic rays that hit it while it was on the ISS.

That’s certainly not enough to protect astronauts, but the sample in question was only two millimeters thick. A layer just 21 centimeters thick, the scientists say, would be enough to keep future Mars settlers safe.

Easy Installation

The researchers also speculated about weaving some of the material into spacesuit fabric, New Scientist reports, but the main draw of their work is that damaged fungus shields would be able to grow back.

“What makes the fungus great is that you only need a few grams to start out,” Stanford researcher and study co-author Nils Averesch told New Scientist. “It self-replicates and self-heals, so even if there’s a solar flare that damages the radiation shield significantly, it will be able to grow back in a few days.”

READ MORE: Mould from Chernobyl nuclear reactor tested as radiation shield on ISS [New Scientist]

More on cosmic radiation: NASA Is Sending Dummies Around the Moon To Test Cosmic Radiation

The post Fungus Growing at Chernobyl Could Protect Astronauts From Cosmic Rays appeared first on Futurism.

More:
Fungus Growing at Chernobyl Could Protect Astronauts From Cosmic Rays

Finas Act must be reformed to protect freedom of expression CIJ and FFN – Malay Mail

Posted on by

JULY 24 We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, welcome Communication and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullahs pledge that the government will not be using the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia Act 1981 (Finas Act or Akta 244) to infringe on personal freedom on social media.

This comes after his shocking statement in Parliament yesterday that all film production in Malaysia, be it by mainstream media broadcasting or personal social media, must have a filming license.

He has since affirmed that social media users will be free to produce and upload videos online without needing a license or being in fear of prosecution from the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), the central government authority for the development of the local film industry.

He iterated that there is a need for many of the laws under the purview of his ministry, including the Finas Act, to be reviewed and updated. He has also pledged to amend the Finas Act to keep with the times.

In that spirit, we would like to highlight some pertinent issues and related suggestions:

1. The licensing jurisdiction in the Finas Act needs to be clearly defined. Currently, the law could be interpreted to cover all forms of film productions; its definition of films includes feature films, short films, trailers, documentaries, moving images, films that have sound or do not and films that are meant for public viewing or otherwise. It is also silent on platforms so it could cover cinema, digital, public or private film production and screening. This means that film production could technically refer to a home-made video shot on a handphone to a multi-million ringgit movie production for cinema screening. The definition of film production will have to be amended and clearly defined to prevent the risk of the Finas Act being used arbitrarily depending on the intentions of the government.

2. There needs to be a clear justification of the purpose of licensing for instance, for collecting data, planning or filmmaker funding purposes. These requirements should also be matched and limited to stated needs. The Finas Acts current requirement for companies to have at least RM50,000 paid-up capital in order to qualify for a film or video production licence has long caused anxiety and dissatisfaction among young and independent filmmakers making non-commercial films who do not have the financial requirements. This requirement will have to be removed from the law. Otherwise, it will result in a drop in the number and quality of films, including documentaries, and severely impact the growth of the film industry in Malaysia.

3. News production companies such as Al Jazeera should not fall under the purview of the Finas Act if they are already accredited as media by the Information Department. It is also noteworthy that any decision on the case of the Al Jazeera Locked Up In Malaysias Lockdown documentary will act as a precedent and has the potential for misuse as it could be used arbitrarily on any production, including those screened online, as long as it is deemed as questioning or being critical of the State. Furthermore, it has the potential to create a climate of fear and censorship among filmmakers and drive away international production and film companies from investing and setting up operations in Malaysia.

4. The licensing of films by Finas must not be used as a form of control and censorship. The recent reported remark by Zakaria Abdul Hamid, the chairperson of Finas, that all video recordings must have a licence from his agency to ensure said video recordings do not incite unrest or cause a public nuisance is very telling of how Finas perceives its role. This is also clearly indicative of: (i) an overlap of roles between Finas, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Film Censorship Board; (ii) a breach of the covenant of industry self-regulation under the Communications and Multimedia Act, and; (iii) a double layer of censorship and film content control.

We appeal to Finas to stay true to its role of uplifting, nurturing and facilitating the development of the Malaysian film industry, as stated in Section 6 (1) of the Finas Act, and not function against the interest of filmmakers. If Finas enforces regulations under the law to censor and penalise filmmakers, it will go against its own objective and purpose. It is imperative that Finas not allow itself to be used as a tool by the current regime to silence dissent and target media companies like Al Jazeera simply because their documentary places the State in an unfavourable light.

On the other hand, the Communications and Multimedia Minister must immediately uphold his pledge to amend the Finas Act to protect freedom of expression and media freedom. As key and invested stakeholders and allies, we are willing to engage in a dialogue with the minister in order to seek a sustainable roadmap to align our laws to protect the right of freedom of expression and public interest.

*This statement is issued by the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and Freedom Film Network (FFN).

Endorsed by the following organisations:

1. EMPOWER Malaysia2. Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm)3. Global Bersih4. Justice for Sisters5. Komuniti Filem Titiwangsa (Komfit)6. KRYSS Network7. Malaysian Documentary Association (MYDOCS)8. North-South Initiative (NSI)9. Our Journey10. Pangrok Sulap11. Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor (PSWS)12. Pusat Komas13. ReformARTsi (An arts coalition comprising 117 members, of which 55 are from art groups or companies)14. Sabah Reform Initiative (SARI)15. Sisters in Islam (SIS)16. Taskforce Against Kaiduan Dam (TaKaD)17. The Instant Cafe Theatre Company

Endorsed by the following individuals:

1. Amir Muhammad [Kuman Pictures Sdn Bhd]2. Azmyl Yunor [Artist and academician]3. Bea Tanaka [Producer]4. Iskander Azizuddin [Feisk Productions]5. Jerome Kugan6. Loo Hong Chuang [Academician]7. Nadira Ilana [Telan Bulan Films]8. Susan Lankester [Actor, producer and director, BWC Pictures]9. Yow Chong Lee [Filmmaker and academician]

**This is the personal opinion of the writer(s) or organisation(s) and does not necessarily represent the views ofMalay Mail.

Go here to read the rest:

Finas Act must be reformed to protect freedom of expression CIJ and FFN - Malay Mail

Rev. C.T. Vivian, Freedom Rides organizer and key adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., dies at 95 – Richmond Free Press

Posted on by

ATLANTA - The Rev. C.T. Vivian, an early and key adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who organized pivotal civil rights campaigns and spent decades advocating for justice and equality, died Friday, July 17, 2020, the same day as fellow civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis of Georgia.

The 95-year-old Rev. Vivian, a former interim president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that Dr. King co-founded, began staging sit-ins against segregation in Peoria, Ill., in the 1940s a dozen years before lunch counter protests by college students made national news. He met Dr. King soon after the budding civil rights leader spearheaded the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, and helped translate ideas into action by organizing the Freedom Rides that forced federal intervention across the South.

Rev. Vivian boldly challenged a segregationist sheriff while trying to register Black voters in Selma, Ala., where hundreds, then thousands, later marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

You can turn your back now and you can keep your club in your hand, but you cannot beat down justice. And we will register to vote because as citizens of these United States we have the right to do it, Rev. Vivian declared, wagging his index finger at Sheriff Jim Clark as the cameras rolled.

The sheriff then punched him, and news coverage of the assault helped turned a local registration drive into a national phenomenon.

Former diplomat and Congressman Andrew Young, another close confidante of Dr. King, said Rev. Vivian was always one of the people who had the most insight, wisdom, integrity and dedication.

Former President Obama, who honored Rev. Vivian with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, tweeted last Friday that Rev. Vivian was always one of the first in the action a Freedom Rider, a marcher in Selma, beaten, jailed, almost killed, absorbing blows in hopes that fewer of us would have to.

He waged nonviolent campaigns for integration across the South, and campaigns for economic justice throughout the North, knowing that even after the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act that he helped win, our long journey to equality was nowhere near finished, President Obama wrote.

He also drew a direct line from Rev. Vivian and all the heroes in that Civil Rights Generation to todays generation of activists, saying, I have to imagine that seeing the largest protest movement in history unfold over his final months gave the Reverend a final dose of hope.

Speaking with students in Tennessee 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, Rev. Vivian urged them to act strategically as they advocated for justice and equality. The Civil Rights Movement was effective not only because of its nonviolence, but because activists made sure their messages were amplified, he said.

This is what made the movement: Our voice was really heard. But it didnt happen by accident; we made certain it was heard, Rev. Vivian said.

Born Cordy Tindell Vivian on July 28, 1924, in Howard County, Mo., Rev. Vivian moved as a young boy to Macomb, Ill., with his mother. He studied theology alongside future civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis at the American Baptist College in Nashville, Tenn., where they trained waves of activists in nonviolent protest.

More:

Rev. C.T. Vivian, Freedom Rides organizer and key adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., dies at 95 - Richmond Free Press

West Ham have to play with freedom in finale Johnson – Romford Recorder

Posted on by

PUBLISHED: 09:00 24 July 2020

Manchester United's Marcus Rashford (left) and West Ham United's Ben Johnson in action during the Premier League match at Old Trafford

PA Wire/PA Images

Young defender Ben Johnson says West Ham need to lay down a marker for next season as they complete the delayed 2019-20 Premier League campaign against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Email this article to a friend

To send a link to this page you must be logged in.

The Hammers ensured their safety with a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in midweek, as full-back Johnson impressed at Old Trafford.

And David Moyes men will look to end on a high at London Stadium against a Villa side still fighting for their own survival.

Johnson told whufc.com: Its about looking at next season. Weve got to enjoy the draw. We probably couldve won with the chances we had.

I think just play with freedom on Sunday and continue it to next season and build on that, because I think well only have three weeks off and then well be back in pre-season.

So its not really a long break. We can build momentum from Sunday. You see Sheffield Unitedhaving a wonderful season, so why cant we do that?

With our keeper Lukasz Fabianski and the back four, the foundation we have allows to build. And the front three have shown we can goals from the restart, so who knows?

The 20-year-old Johnson had looked assured in the crucial 3-1 win over fellow strugglers Watford last Friday and kept Marcus Rashford quiet for long spells on Wednesday.

And the academy graduate said it was a relief to have stayed up after the three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic, adding: Weve come back and learned from our manager. Hes give us results and were just delighted to mathematically be safe.

Having so long a break, there was uncertainty in the squad, but I think weve dug deep, weve played football like we can we can go to another level as well and just getting results is what we want and what we can do.

Weve had a difficult seasno, not the season we expected, but in the last couple of games weve shown what we can do and that we can go up a notch, so its just delightful to see us playing with freedom and together as a team.

Attacking-wise were dangerous and defensively were strong, so hopefully well just bring that into next season.

Sundays game against Aston Villa kicks off at 4pm and is being shown live on BT Sport from 3pm.

If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Romford Recorder. Click the link in the orange box below for details.

See more here:

West Ham have to play with freedom in finale Johnson - Romford Recorder

Dudley coronavirus heroes granted Freedom of the Borough – Dudley News

Posted on by

WORKERS on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic in the Dudley borough have been granted Freedom of the Borough as a mark of recognition for their dedication during the crisis.

Councillors voted to bestow the honour at Thursday night's virtual full council meeting following a request put forward by councillor Keiran Casey.

The honour has been granted to staff working in the NHS, public health, adult social care, children's services, bereavement services and voluntary sector workers in the Dudley borough as a mark of thanks for their work and sacrifice during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The accolade is the highest award the council can bestow and former recipients include RAF Cosford, the 63 Military Intelligence Company in Stourbridge, Dudley's own Sir Lenny Henry and Halesowen tennis ace Jordanne Whiley.

Councillor Casey said: "It's brilliant news that this request has been approved by the council.

"This is the highest honour the council can give and I think it's really important we continue to show our thanks and appreciation to those on the very frontline of this fight, who without a moments hesitation go in to our hospital wards to treat patients, in to our care homes to look after our elderly and vulnerable and out in the community to ensure that people have the help and support they need.

"For me, this is about recognising on mass, the hundreds and hundreds of people in these areas who work tirelessly right across our Borough and showing them how truly grateful we are for the work they have and continue to do.

"It's about us as a Borough saying very simply, thank you and there is no doubt that we owe more than words can say to those on the very frontline of this fight."

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said: "Whilst the fight against the pandemic is not yet over, we believe its important to recognise the continuing efforts of all those people who are helping us all.

"We will now work cross party to find the best way to recognise these achievements. There are so many people to acknowledge, we want to make sure we do this in a meaningful way and will be announcing how we will due this over the coming months."

The news comes as work to build a permanent monument in honour of care and key workers outside Russells Hall Hospital gains pace.

Donations have so far reached 12,000 in a matter of weeks since Councillor Casey launched the project, which will see the creation a rainbow monument covered in personalised colours hearts as a lasting tribute.

Organisations including Dudley College, the University of Wolverhampton, Interserve, South Staffs Water and the University of Birmingham have so far pledged support.

Councillor Casey, who represents Upper Gornal and Woodsetton added: "I've also been blown away by the support I've received from local people and organisations on the project for a permanent monument in Dudley and thought this would be a way of having a lasting tribute to everyone that has done so much for us, in some cases paying the ultimate sacrifice".

Originally posted here:

Dudley coronavirus heroes granted Freedom of the Borough - Dudley News

Mark McDaniel reappointed to NASA Human Exploration and Operations Advisory Committee – alreporter.com

Posted on by

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the William Mac Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 by a vote of 295 to 125. Congressman Bradley Byrne is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, which passed an earlier version of the NDAA on July 1, 2020, by a vote of 56 to 0.

The bill includes an amendment authored by Byrne authorizing $260 million to construct an additional Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel at Austal Mobile. This years NDAA is named for Ranking Member Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, who chaired the committee during the 114th and 115th Congresses.

The men and women of our Armed Services deserve our complete support, and Im pleased that the House came together in a largely bipartisan manner to give our warfighters the resources necessary to protect us, Byrne said. Both in committee and on the House floor, all Members provided input to strengthen this bill, a practice that occurs far too little in todays House. While I do not agree with everything in the bill, it remains worthy of support, and Im hopeful that some of the partisan provisions added on the House floor will be removed through compromise with the Senate.

Byrne said the additional Austal ship is important for Southwest Alabama.

Importantly for Southwest Alabama, this bill passed with my amendment to authorize the construction of an additional EPF at the Austal shipyard in Mobile, Byrne said. I appreciate my Congressional colleagues for acknowledging Austal and the EPFs importance to our national defense and for their support of the work performed by the 4,000 skilled men and women at Austal Mobile. Construction of this world-class vessel will move us even closer to the Navys goal of a 355-ship fleet.

The NDAA sets policy and authorizes funding for the entire United States military and has been passed by the House each year for the previous 59 years. The Senate is currently considering its own version of the NDAA.

Byrne pointed out several highlights from this years NDAA including that it adheres to last years bipartisan budget agreement and fully funds the Trump administrations request.

Public Service Announcement

The bill includes $740.5 billion total for National Defense Discretionary programs, including $130.6 billion for procurement of advanced weapons systems and $106.2 billion for Research Development Test and Evaluation. The bill also funds a vital nuclear modernization programs to ensure that nuclear deterrent is safe and reliable. It fully funds the B-21 bomber, a new Columbia Class submarine along with an additional attack submarine, and begins work on the W93 warhead that will be critical to meet STRATCOM Commander requirements for the sea-based deterrent.

Byrne says the NDAA also takes a tough stance on China by laying the foundation for an Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative to deter China, modeled on the European Deterrence Initiative. The NDAA increases funding in emergent technologies, such as AI, to maintain a technical edge against China, and starts taking financial actions to pursue Chinas graduation from the World Bank and greater transparency with Chinas debt.

Byrne said that the NDAA provides support for troops and families, including a 3 percent pay raise.

Byrne said that the bill also deals with the COVID-19 response. It ensures that the Department of Defense has the diagnostic equipment, testing capabilities, and personal protective equipment necessary to protect our Armed Forces. It requires the National Security Strategy to address the provision of drugs, biologics, vaccines and other critical medical equipment to ensure combat readiness and force health protection.

Byrne said that the NDAA includes almost $600 million above the Presidents Budget Request for science and technology and investments in critical emerging technology areas including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and biotechnology.

The bill changed considerably on the floor of the House. Some GOP Congressmen including Mo Brooks, R-Alabama, voted for the bill in committee and against the bill on the House floor because of some of those changes. President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the bill unless changes to the bill are made before it reaches his desk.

The Senate and House versions will go to a conference committee where a compromise version will be drafted that can pass both Houses.

Byrne represents Alabamas 1st Congressional District. He is leaving Congress at the end of the year.

Continued here:

Mark McDaniel reappointed to NASA Human Exploration and Operations Advisory Committee - alreporter.com

Trained dogs were able to sniff out Covid-19 infections with 94% accuracy: study – CNBC

Posted on by

Dogs have smell receptors up to 10,000 times more powerful and accurate than humans. That allows certain trained dogs to sniff out diseases like cancer,malaria and viral infections.

Now, according to German researchers, trained dogs can sniff out coronavirus infections.

A newstudy, which was piloted by theUniversity of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, the Hannover Medical School and the German Armed Forces found that, if properly trained, dogs were able to discriminate between human saliva samples infected with SARS-CoV-2 and non-infected samples with a 94% success rate overall.

The hope is this method of detection could be one day be used in public areas such as airports, sporting events and other mass gatherings (in addition to laboratory testing) to help prevent future Covid-19 outbreaks, according to researchers.

To conduct the study, researchers trained eight dogs from Germany's Armed Forces for one week. The trained dogs sniffed the saliva of more than 1,000 people that were either healthy or infected with the virus. Samples infected with Covid-19 were distributed at random and neither the dog handlers nor the researchers on site knew which ones were positive.

In a YouTubevideo about the project,Maren von Koeckritz-Blickwede, a professor at the university, who conducted the study, says they think dogs are able to do this because the metabolic processes of an infected person "completely change."

"We think that the dogs are able to detect a specific smell of the metabolic changes that occur in those patients," she says.

While more research is still needed, Von Koeckritz-Blickwede says the next step is to train dogs to differentiate Covid-19 samples from other diseases like influenza.

According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, while dogs can get infected with Covid-19, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus.

The study was published inBMC Infectious Diseaseson July 23.

CNBC Make It is NOW STREAMING on Peacock. Find our original programming in the Channels section.

Don't miss:

White House advisor Dr. Fauci works 20-hour days and his wife reminds him to eat, sleep and drink water

White House advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci on burnout: 'I am running a bit on fumes' but 'doing fine'

Read the original here:

Trained dogs were able to sniff out Covid-19 infections with 94% accuracy: study - CNBC

Sanger’s name to be dropped from NYC clinic over eugenics – Herald-Whig

Posted on by

Posted: Jul. 21, 2020 7:00 am Updated: Jul. 21, 2020 1:54 pm

NEW YORK (AP) Planned Parenthood of Greater New York will remove the name of pioneering birth control advocate Margaret Sanger from its Manhattan health clinic because of her harmful connections to the eugenics movement, the group announced on Tuesday.

Sanger, one of the founders of Planned Parenthood of America more than a century ago, has long provoked controversy because of her support for eugenics, a movement to promote selective breeding that often targeted people of color and the disabled.

The removal of Margaret Sangers name from our building is both a necessary and overdue step to reckon with our legacy and acknowledge Planned Parenthoods contributions to historical reproductive harm within communities of color, Karen Seltzer, the chair of Planned Parenthood of New York, said in a statement. Margaret Sangers concerns and advocacy for reproductive health have been clearly documented, but so too has her racist legacy."

Officials with the national organization said they supported the move.

Planned Parenthood, like many other organizations that have existed for a century or more, is reckoning with our history, and working to address historical inequities to better serve patients and our mission, said Melanie Roussell Newman, a spokesperson for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Planned Parenthood dates its beginnings to 1916, when Sanger, her sister and a friend opened Americas first birth control clinic in Brooklyn.

Although Sanger has long been viewed as a feminist hero for championing women's right to decide when to bear children, her support for the then-popular science of eugenics is troubling by contemporary standards. She wrote in 1921 that the most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective.

Sangers defenders say she was not racist, citing her relationships with Black leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois and her work to provide contraceptive services in Black communities not for eugenics, but to give Black parents the ability to choose how many children to have.

Linda Gordon, the historian who first revealed Sanger's eugenics collaboration in her 1976 book, Womans Body, Womans Right: the History of Birth Control Politics in America, said Sanger was no more racist than many progressives of her time.

To treat Sanger as we treat defenders of slavery and segregation does not help us understand the history of racism in this country, Gordon said in an email.

The move by Planned Parenthood to distance itself from its founder takes place amid a nationwide reckoning with the legacies of once-revered figures whose views on race are now seen as abhorrent.

Princeton University announced last month that it would remove the name of former President Woodrow Wilson from its public policy school because of his segregationist views.

Opponents of Planned Parenthood welcomed the removal of Sanger's name from the Manhattan clinic. Abortion rights foes have long invoked Sangers name in contending that Planned Parenthoods provision of services, including abortion to Black communities, is racist.

The anti-abortion group Students for Life of America said in a statement Tuesday that Sanger should not be honored anywhere.

Margaret Sangers intense campaign to push contraception and the abortion mentality on minority communities to ensure that fewer black babies would be born deserves our condemnation and demands that she be removed from places of honor, said Kristan Hawkins, the organization's president.

The clinic that had been named after Sanger will now be known as the Manhattan Health Center. Planned Parenthood of Greater New York said it is also urging New York City leaders to remove Sangers name from a street sign near the clinic.

___

Associated Press writer David Crary contributed to this story.

Visit link:

Sanger's name to be dropped from NYC clinic over eugenics - Herald-Whig

Louis Tomlinson Is So Proud Of One Direction Bandmates In Heartfelt Post Celebrating Their 10-Year… – Capital

Posted on by

23 July 2020, 12:45

Louis Tomlinson has shouted out Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik on One Directions 10th anniversary, explaining how 'emotional' he is looking back on the band's career.

Louis Tomlinson has marked One Directions 10-year anniversary by remembering the incredible memories he had with his former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik.

In a heartfelt post on Twitter, he wrote: Feeling pretty emotional today. 10 years!!

YouTuber Andrea Russett Shares Hilarious One Direction Throwback Interview From 2012 To Mark 10-Year Anniversary

"Spent the morning watching old interviews and performances.

"Just wanted to send a massive thank you to ALL of my bandmates. What we did together was incredible."

Louis continued: "Too many incredible memories to mention but not a day goes by that I don't think about how amazing it was.

@NiallOfficial @Harry_Styles @LiamPayne @zaynmalik.So proud of you all individually.

"And to the fans. The people who gave us all these amazing opportunities. You are incredible, your unmatched level of loyalty is something that makes me really really proud.

"Miss it every day!

1D fans were quick to rush to the comments with a series of memes of them being in their feels - and we dont blame them at all!

One wrote: The way you mentioned them all, along with a crying meme.

Stop youre making me cry, penned another.

As we mark 10 iconic years of One Direction, friends and fans of the stars have been celebrating the day of when they were first formed on the X Factor and it's safe to say we're all so proud of the boys!

> Download Our App For All The Latest One Direction News

Link:

Louis Tomlinson Is So Proud Of One Direction Bandmates In Heartfelt Post Celebrating Their 10-Year... - Capital

The boss on that incredible evening at Griffin Park – barnsleyfc.co.uk

Posted on by

Speaking after our 2-1 win against Brentford on Wednesday evening, an emotional Gerhard Struber expressed his pride at his young Barnsley side who defied all the odds to complete the most unlikely Sky Bet Championship survival.

The Reds, who spent 311 days of an extraordinary, pulsating campaign in the relegation zone, pulled off the greatest of escapes in the most dramatic circumstances at Griffin Park.

I think in my football life its the biggest job that Ive done and Im so proud of my boys, began Struber. We showed a big togetherness in the last few weeks and I think this was the big key that we stay in the league; this was not only words we can see in every game in the last few weeks that we must go on our personal limit in every game.

We played against such a big opponent and, in the first half, they had no control on the ball; our pressing was brilliant. In the second half, we had a little more problems but, in the end, we never gave up and did our best with the long breath and now we stay in the league.

Some people smiled, in the last few months, when I said we would stay in the league, but now I think everyone understands. We are a very good team and everyone deserves to stay in this league. I am so happy with my boys.

There are so many heroes to pick out and so many key factors to discuss from our clash with the Bees that its hard to know where to begin.

Perhaps Jack Waltons incredible save to thwart Bryan Mbuemo on the stroke of half-time. Maybe the numerous towering defensive headers from an often maligned but rejuvenated Mads Andersen, who has been tremendous since the restart.

But, ultimately, the games defining moments were our goals scored by players who had never found the back of the net in their professional careers.

Callum Styles has shown his undoubted talent in the past few weeks playing in an unfamiliar wing-back role, but he has gone from strength to strength. His unerring first time finish to beat David Raya at his near post was hit with the sort of confidence you would expect from a seasoned striker.

And then theres Clarke Oduor. Thrust into action with three minutes of normal time remaining to etch himself into the Barnsley history books by showing the initiative to race to the back post and tap home a goal of unprecedented magnitude.

Sometimes we need a little luck, continued Struber, who has seen his side dominate games but not get their rewards in recent weeks. Patrick Schmidt with his final pass and Clarke Im so proud of my whole squad and we need everyone.

I told the boys when we came back from lockdown, we need the whole squad we need every player and Clarke made this unbelievable finish. Im very proud.

Im proud of our development. The plan is very clear for the boys and many players have grown up their personal style. Now, we dont speak of talents, we speak more of professional players. You can see, against this massive opponent, we are on the right way.

We had the right result and I am very happy for our supporters they sent me so many messages and the energy, side by side, was very helpful.

You can watch Gerhard's post-match interview on iFollow Barnsley.

See the original post here:

The boss on that incredible evening at Griffin Park - barnsleyfc.co.uk

Antitrust Hearing Involving Apple Chief Tim Cook and Other Big Tech CEOs Reportedly Postponed – MacRumors

Posted on by

An antitrust hearing held by the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee where Apple chief Tim Cook was set to join other big tech CEOs is likely to be postponed, according to a report on Thursday.

The hearing involving Cook, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was supposed to happen next Monday, but two sources told CNBC that it was now unlikely to take place due to a conflict with the memorial service for the late representative John Lewis.

The hearing is meant to be the culmination of a more than year-long investigation into the four tech giants. After the hearing, lawmakers plan to publish a report based on their findings and propose legislation to bring antitrust laws up to date to deal with issues unique to digital marketplaces.

A recent report by The Information underlined Cook's initial reluctance to take part in the hearing, and how under the pressure of a potential subpoena, Cook ultimately agreed to participate.

Cook is said to have spent the better part of a month preparing for the hearing, which may touch on a wide range of subjects from App Store policies to Apple's disputes with the FBI over providing methods for law enforcement to access locked devices to Apple's relationships with China.

It is currently unknown when the hearing will be rescheduled.

See the article here:

Antitrust Hearing Involving Apple Chief Tim Cook and Other Big Tech CEOs Reportedly Postponed - MacRumors

Big Tech Unmasked as Anti-conservative by Project Veritas – Newsmax

Posted on by

Big Tech has become one of the most contentious issues in American politics since social media was born.

Outlets such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook started "shadow banning"conservatives immediately after President Donald Trumps election in 2016. Shadow banningis colloquially defined on the internet as the act of blocking or partially blocking a user or their content from an online community so that it will not be readily apparent to the user that they have been banned, according to Wikipedia.

They began by targeting more people who are frequently characterized as fringe commentators. The so-called deplatforming tactics have now come for anyone whose views differ from those of the CEOs of Silicon Valley Trump andnumerous Republican U.S. senators and representativesamong them. Deplatforming is described on Wikipedia as a form of political activism or prior restraint by an individual, group, or organization with the goal of shutting down controversial speakers or speech, or denying them access to a venue in which to express their opinion."

Sympathetic conservatives were told from pundits on high that to rail against these tactics would be tantamount to slaying the sacred cow of unbridled capitalism.

Those who would dare to call for the enforcement of laws already on the books dealing with deplatformingwere nothing more than statists who wanted toinfringe on the free marketplace of ideas.

But, in recent weeks, this may be changing in a big way.

Project Veritasrecent expos on Facebook may be the push that finally gets the reluctant Republicans in Congress to start attacking censorship from Big Tech in effect, to simply not care that this may endanger BigTech'scontributions to their reelection war chests.

Project Veritas new video is entitledFacebook Content Moderator: 'If Someones Wearing MAGA Hat, I'm Going to Delete Them for Terrorism.

The new video speaks volumes, with fresh information coming from a whistleblower working on the inside of Big Tech. Zach McElroy is the whistleblower who worked at the company Cognizant, which performs content moderation for Facebook,andwent to Project Veritas to go public with the flagrant abuse of power that he saw while serving as a content moderator for the tech giant.

He is currently hosting a GoFundMe campaign to finish the fight with Facebook: https://www.gofundme.com/f/exposefacebook.

McElroy told Newsmax that his feeling of corporate bias started during the training when they disseminated their policies. I knew right away that something was wrong. I felt that I had to do something, but I did not know how I would do it. It was apparent that to stick my neck out legally would be the hardest because I thought nobody would notice.

One of the worst parts of McElroy's ordeal was that he felt so uneasy and unsafe going to major news outlets to get this story out. He specifically mentioned that he could not trust The New York Times and The Washington Post because I had this feeling that they wont take my story seriously and they would rat me out to Facebook.

In the eye of the author, the censorship at Facebook is best characterized as a deliberate attempt to suppress Trump supporters from proselytizing progressives and liberals about Joe Bidens voting record.

As the video shows, the moderators built up a personal sense of "justice"in exacting their vengeance against conservatives.

If anyone looks particularly bad in the video, it is inarguably Facebooks proverbial father, Mark Zuckerberg. He has routinely espoused that Facebook will be able to stop a lot of harm while fighting back against putting additional restrictions on speech. ... Focusing on authenticity and verifying accounts is a much better solution than an ever-expanding definition of what speech is harmful.

Clearly, Zuckerbergs grandiose vision of protectingfree speech does not apply to conservatives who use Facebook in the hopes of voicing their opinions.

While McElroy did not work directly at Facebook headquarters, he described his third-party company atmosphere as having the same systemic issues. You have an employee base that is majority Democratic and left-leaning because these companies are based all in blue cities, blue states, or both.

McElroy has yet to be targeted by Facebook, but he did say he was worried about that happening when [he] decided to go public and still is concerned about that. However, the need for the story to come to light and ensuring it gets out is the most important thing to [him].

As he put it, telling the truth is going to get me through this.

Toward the end of the interview, McElroy told Newsmax how his story would add to the mounting evidence that Big Tech companies are doing everything in their power to stymie speech online.

We have seen how dark the Big Tech censorship is, he said, and I hope that things will be different this time. President Trump has moved on Twitter with Section 230 so maybe he will be proactive with this. Nobody is doing the kind of investigative work that Project Veritas does."

Section 230 refers to that specific section of the Communications Decency Act that states No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

In laymans terms, it is an exemption that these social media platforms use to protect both the content of what is written on their website as well as the company from legal liability. However, if the these tech giants are picking and choosing which content can be on their website, then they are in effect violating this exemption by acting as a "publisher,"as the Communications Decency Act defines it.

Moving forward into the future, it may very well be the case that courts decide that the acts perpetrated by companies such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. are grounds to revoke their coveted legal protection, making their demise all the more likely.

(Michael Cozzi is a Ph.D. candidate at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.)

2020 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

View original post here:

Big Tech Unmasked as Anti-conservative by Project Veritas - Newsmax

The one big thing each tech CEO will tell Congress – Axios

Posted on by

The big four tech CEOs testifying at Monday's antitrust hearing will each offer up a key point to defend their firms and deflect lawmakers' wrath.

Why it matters: No corporate leader wants to see their industry heavily regulated or their company broken up. Monday's hearing gives Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai a big platform to try to prevent that from happening.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: Congress should pass better laws. Let's work together and do that!

Google CEO Sundar Pichai: We won search by doing it well why punish us for that?

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos: We're big because we've always given users what they want fast delivery, wide selection and good prices.

Apple CEO Tim Cook: Our App Store creates opportunity for countless developers and Google's Android controls more of the smartphone market, anyway.

One wild card: China. All four companies have loudly or quietly warned that the U.S. shouldn't over-regulate its big tech firms because the nation needs them to be big and strong to counter threats from China.

Between the lines: Many of the loudest and most potent lines of attack on tech like the idea, promoted by President Trump and other Republicans, that it's stifling conservatives can be countered with facts, but they're too politically useful to simply be dropped.

The bottom line: The CEOs will get a chance Monday to rebut criticisms, argue that they're a net good for the nation, and tell lawmakers directly that antitrust enforcement is the wrong remedy for their ills.

Read more:

The one big thing each tech CEO will tell Congress - Axios

Report Doorcast: Big Tech antitrust hearing preview and the Xbox Games Showcase breakdown – Report Door

Posted on by

This week on The Report Doorcast, The Report Doors Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, Makena Kelly, and Casey Newton join a Zoom call to discuss the upcoming big congressional antitrust Zoom call featuring CEOs from Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google.

Though the hearing is likely to be postponed (that news came after this episode was recorded), the discussion is still relevant. Signaling a big move to regulate Silicon Valley, the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee will talk to Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai about their potential monopoly powers in the digital marketplace and social media. The Report Door

Also, in the middle of the show, games editor Andrew Webster and reporter Megan Farokhmanesh stop by to give us a brief breakdown of what was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase from the new Halo game to the growing significance of Microsofts Xbox Game Pass subscription model.

Theres a whole lot more in between all of that like some of the weeks latest gadget rumors so listen through here or in your preferred podcast player to hear it all.

Stories from this week:

Excerpt from:

Report Doorcast: Big Tech antitrust hearing preview and the Xbox Games Showcase breakdown - Report Door

Cramer says this tech stock rally is not like 1999 but here is what could stop it – CNBC

Posted on by

CNBC's Jim Cramer said Wednesday that the stock market's rally from coronavirus crisis lows shouldn't be compared with the speculation in tech stocks that precededthe bursting of the dot-com bubble.

Unlike the 1990s speculation in unproven internet firms, tech companies with demonstrated track records of success like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet are helping power today's market higher, the "Mad Money" host said.

"If you look at the top 20 companies in the Nasdaqin 1999, not one of them looked like today's winners," Cramer said, calling them "some of the most profitable companies in history."

However, Cramer stressed that there are potential developments that could stand in the way and prevent many of these large-cap tech stocks, which also includes the likes of Netflix and Facebook, from continuing to dominate the market.

The first of those risks focuses on the U.S. attempts to combat its Covid-19 outbreak, Cramer said. If the country is able to improve its response through more testing, face mask wearing and government stimulus until there's a vaccine for the novel virus, Cramer said he sees investors starting to embrace economically sensitive sectors in the S&P 500 that have lagged in 2020.

"We'll be going out, traveling, and that means the money from the Cramer Covid-19 winners will rotate into the Covid losers. It's just what happens," Cramer said. "I see this as inevitable because sooner or later we'll get a vaccine, but inevitable doesn't necessarily mean now or even in the next three months or even in the next six months."

Cramer said government regulation is another threat to the leadership from some of these tech names. He noted the upcoming congressional testimony from the CEOs of Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook.

"If there's an antitrust crackdown on Big Tech, you'll see some real declines here because then we'll have a lot less visibility into their future earnings streams," he said.

The continued escalation of tensions between the Trump administration and China presents an additional layer of risk, Cramer said. The U.S. has in recent days claimed Chinese hackers were targeting coronavirus vaccine researchand then ordered the country to shut down its consulate in Houston. Beijing has threatened retaliation.

"If the White House goes into a full bore cold war with China, and it does look like we might, many of these companies will lose a major chunk of their sales, especially Apple," Cramer said.

Even though some tech firms lack much exposure to the Chinese market, the nature of exchange-traded funds means "they all are joined," he said.

Investors also need to be mindful of inflation after trillions of dollars of stimulus was injected into the economy in response to the coronavirus, Cramer said.

"Nobody wants to pay up for growth stocks when inflation is raging. The nonindex owners will dump them because inflation destroys the value of those big earnings in the outyears," he said.

Cramer said the final risk to the current tech rally comes down to the upcoming presidential election. Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is proposing to tax capital gains like ordinary income, Cramer said, which he said has a real possibility of being enacted if the Republicans lose control of the Senate.

"Whether or not you think this is good policy, it would be extremely bad for stock prices and I'd expect a lot of people want to sell now to get out ahead of it," he said.

All of these potential challenges for tech companies are dramatically different than what caused the dot-com bubble to burst in early 2000, Cramer said.

"I don't see this market collapsing on valuation or fraud or insider selling or inflation, which is currently nonexistent," Cramer said, but risks presented by government regulation and geopolitical tensions are real.

"And, most importantly, if we get the pandemic under control and the economy comes roaring back Big Tech will go out of style as people rush for the recovery stocks," he said.

Read the rest here:

Cramer says this tech stock rally is not like 1999 but here is what could stop it - CNBC

EU-wide digital tax on big tech touted as best resource – EURACTIV

Posted on by

The Capitals brings you the latest news from across Europe, through on-the-ground reporting by EURACTIVs media network. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

Before you start reading todays edition of the Capitals, feel free to have a look at the article German industry pleased with the results of the EU summit written by Phillip Grll.

To ensure EURACTIV continues to deliver top-quality content in the future, we are asking you to consider making a one-time or recurring donation and thank all of you who already have. If you are interested in investing in EURACTIVs future, all you need to do is followthis link.

In todays news from the Capitals:

PARIS | LJUBLJANA

Digital tax momentum. French President Emmanuel Macron told French TV that he envisages an EU-wide digital tax on big tech multinationals, along the lines of a digital tax, which France has said it plans to impose this year.

Macrons comments on Tuesday (21 July) come after he backed down earlier this year on levying hefty taxes on some of Silicon Valleys biggest names in January, following US President Donald Trumps tariff threats.

Slovenian PM Janez Jana also said he sees a digital tax as the EUs best resource. Subsidies will have to be repaid. One of the major shifts is contained in these few words, which speak of the EUs own resources, because in seven years time, when we negotiate the next budget, this will be a key thing, Jana said on Tuesday (21 July).

He highlighted digital taxation as probably the EUs biggest potential own resource in the future and said that taxation of emissions and plastics is a problem for those countries that have already included these resources in their national tax policy. Read more here.

(Anne Damiani/Zoran Radosavljevic, EURACTIV.com)

A message from Facebook:

///

BERLIN

Halle attacker on trial. Nine months after what was termed the worst anti-Semitic attack in post-war German history, the trial of the alleged attacker, known in the German press as Stephan B., began on Tuesday (21 July). The suspect stands accused of killing two in a kebab shop in the eastern city of Halle after he had failed to get inside a synagogue, as well as 68 counts of attempted murder.

The trial is now taking place in the largest courtroom in the state to accommodate the large number of plaintiffs and media representatives. EURACTIV Germanys Sarah Lawton has more.

>> Read also: German industry pleased with the results of the EU summit

///

VIENNA

Masks are back in Austria. Wearing face masks will become mandatory again as of Friday (24 July) in grocery stores, post offices and banks. Previously, masks had been mandatory in all shops up until mid-June. Several new COVID-19 clusters have started to appear, mostly in slaughterhouses and churches, pushing the number of daily infections above 100. EURACTIV Germanys Philipp Grll has more.

///

BRUSSELS

Options for extinguishing local COVID-19 flare-ups. After health authorities reported a daily rise in COVID-19 infections by 89% to an average of 184, Belgiums Consultation Committee has discussed the tightening of measures and weighing scenarios for a potential second wave, including reduced social contacts, local lockdowns and increased contact tracing. EURACTIVs Alexandra Brzozowski has more details.

///

LUXEMBOURG

COVID-19 found in wastewater. The virus is found in almost all wastewater and a sharp increase of its concentration is observed in the south of the country, according to a recent report published by the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).

These observations corroborate the evolution of the number of cases confirmed by clinical tests carried out on a large scale in the Grand Duchy and confirm that the water monitoring method is an effective early warning system for the resurgence of the virus in the population, the report concluded. (Anne Damiani | EURACTIV.com)

///

HELSINKI

Finland content with EU deal. In line with Finlands negotiation targets, a third of all funding will be used for measures against climate change and there will be some 25% more funding for research. It was sensible to build up a whole that is sustainable and acceptable to all, but also defend national interests, said Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin at Tuesdays (21 July) press conference in Brussels.

Sanna was particularly satisfied with the extra funding of 400 million for Finlands agriculture sector and with the 100 million for the countrys northern and eastern sparsely populated areas. (Pekka Vnttinen | EURACTIV.com)

///

LONDON

Britain nears abandoning Brexit trade deal hope. Britain and the EU will fail to sign a post-Brexit trade deal, with only a few days left before Prime Minister Boris Johnsons July deadline, The Telegraph reported on Tuesday (21 July).

The UK governments assumption is that there will not be a deal, though it remains possible that a basic agreement could be reached if the EU gives ground in the autumn, the newspaper said, citing government sources. London expects it will trade with Europe on World Trade Organisation terms when the transition period ends, the report added.

(EURACTIV.com)

///

DUBLIN

Ireland set to ease travel restrictions with 15 European countries. The Irish government on Tuesday (21 July) said it had decided to drop the restriction for people coming from countries with a similar or lower rate of infection and was planning to drop a 14-day quarantine requirement for travellers arriving from a green list of 15 European countries.

Arrivals into Ireland from Malta, Finland, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Slovakia, Greece, Greenland, Gibraltar, Monaco, and San Marino will not have to restrict their movements. Passengers from other countries, including the US and neighbouring Britain, are asked to restrict their movements for 14 days.

(EURACTIV.com)

EUROPES SOUTH

ROME

Majority hails victory in Brussels. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was satisfied to come out with a deal which leaves the total numbers of the recovery fund unchanged and grants almost 209 billion to Italy, which is even more than anticipated.

We are satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations, Conte said, adding that now we will create a task force for the implementation of the reforms. EURACTIV Italys Alessandro Follis looks into Italian reactions.

///

MADRID

///

LISBON

Portugal to receive 45 billion. Portugal will collect 15.3 billion in grants from the EU recovery fund, as well as 29.8 billion in subsidies from the EUs long-term budget. The country has earmarked 300 million for the Algarve region (south) due to the drop in tourism.

Portugal is fighting to continue to contain the pandemic, to keep companies, jobs and family incomes alive said Portuguese Prime Minister Antnio Costa, adding that there is also a need to give extra energy to the country.

The Portuguese government presented on Tuesday the Strategic Vision for the 2020/2030 Recovery Plan, which serves as basis for the plan to be presented to the European Commission in October.

(Ana Matos Neves and Denise Fernandes, Lusa.pt)

///

ATHENS

Ankara should halt provocations in eastern Mediterranean, German FM says. Regarding Turkeys drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, we have a very clear position international law must be respected, so progress in EU-Turkey relations is only possible if Ankara stops provocations in the eastern Mediterranean, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said during a visit to Athens. Read more here.

VISEGRAD

WARSAW

Prime minister safe in government reshuffle. The success of the negotiations has shown that our isolation in the EU is a myth; it is also a myth that we are not able to build coalitions, PiS party chief and Polands de facto leader, Jarosaw Kaczyski, told the Polish Press Agency. Read more here.

///

PRAGUE

Automotive as a priority. The Czech automotive industry was severely hit by the pandemic so the government wants to support the industry with money from the recovery fund. Other investment priorities are health care and digitalisation.

We need to solve our automotive industry facing big problems. We need to restructure the health care system and invest a lot in it. We need to tackle digitisation. We need to primarily support the construction sector. We must invest to get out of the crisis, Czech PM Andrej Babi said on Tuesday (21 July).

(Aneta Zachov, EURACTIV.cz)

///

BRATISLAVA

Historic deal, plagiarism and a plum cake. After Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovi came back pleased from the summit, a scandal regarding his plagiarised masters thesis was waiting for him.

After landing in Bratislava, Matovi told reporters that the media had jeopardised hundreds of millions of euros, by publishing the story while on his way to the summit on Thursday (16 July), as leaders could have not have wanted to negotiate with some plagiarist, he claimed, although he has fessed up to the accusations. EURACTIV Slovakia takes a closer look.

///

BUDAPEST

Orbn proclaims himself victor. All attempts aimed at linking EU funds to the rule of law criteria have been repelled, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn told a joint press conference together with his Polish counterpart on Tuesday (21 July) morning.

We didnt just manage to get a good package of money but we defended the pride of our nation and made clear that it is not acceptable that anybody, especially those who inherited the rule of law, criticise us, the freedom fighters, Orbn added.

(Vlagyiszlav Makszimov | EURACTIV.com)

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

ZAGREB

22 billion for Croatia. The newest EU member state has surpassed its goals at the summit by securing a total of 22 billion through recovery fund (9.4 billion) and the long-term budget 12.7 billion).

As Croatia is the only EU country to have used only one financial package in its EU membership, 400 million has also been allocated for cohesion and regional development. EURACTIV Croatias Tea Trubi Macan has more.

///

SOFIA

Government survives no-confidence vote. A no-confidence vote calling for the removal of Boyko Borrissovs third cabinet on corruption grounds proposed by the Bulgarian Socialist Party was rejected by the countrys parliament. The votes from the socialist party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) turned out to be insufficient.

Although Borissov himself was not present during the parliamentary debate given that he had attended the European Council summit in Brussels, no MRF members spoke during the parliamentary vote discussions. The opposition suspects the MRF could be a hidden partner in the power of the prime minister. (Krassen Nikolov | EURACTIV.bg)

///

BUCHAREST

Potential regional lockdowns. As the number of new COVID-19 cases in Romania reached almost 1,000 as of Tuesday (21 July), Prime Minister Ludovic Orban warned that the authorities could start forcing local communities into quarantine if these show significant spikes in cases.

While no Romanian town has yet recorded such surges, the countrys health authorities nevertheless confirmed that of the 39,000 cases recored since the start of the pandemic, 994 people had tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours on Tuesday (21 July), the highest daily number of new cases. When it comes to COVID-19 related deaths, Romania reported 36 new deaths of the total 2,074 on Tuesday. This is the countrys second highest daily death toll, and the largest since mid-April at the height of the pandemic.

(Bogdan Neagu | EURACTIV.ro)

///

BELGRADE

Arms export creates diplomatic tensions. Commenting on the latest trade affair involving the export of Serbian arms to Armenia, Serbian Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic confirmed on Tuesday (21 July) that it had been green-lit by three ministries and Serbias Security and Information Agency (BIA) and carried out by a private company, the name of which could not be made public. The value of the shipment was under 1 million.

Azerbaijans foreign ministry expressed deep disappointment that Serbia had transferred a large quantity of grenade launchers and other various caliber arms to Armenia, which had later been used to attack Azerbaijani police officers on the border between the two countries. Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov told Serbias Ambassador to Baku, Danica Veinovic, that this case casts doubt on the friendly ties and cooperation at the highest level between the two countries.

///

In other news, some 350 doctors are calling for the dismissal of the National COVID-19 response team in an open letter sent to the Serbian government and other relevant institutions under the informal group known as United against COVID. In the letter, the group stresses that Serbia has been faced with a public health disaster. EURACTIV Serbia has the details.

///

Meanwhile, the Quint ambassadors and the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia told Serbian President Aleksandar Vui in a meeting that the rule of law and particularly the right to assemble and media freedom are crucial for Serbias EU path, according to the presidency. Read more here.

***

[Edited by Alexandra Brzozowski, Daniel Eck, Sam Morgan]

See the original post here:

EU-wide digital tax on big tech touted as best resource - EURACTIV

Traffic stop in Brownsville results in rescue of 14-year-old runaway child – Brownsville Herald

Posted on by

Ramirez

A traffic stop by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper resulted in the rescue of a previously reported 14-year-old runaway child by the Brownsville Police Department, according to a news release.

Jesus Arroyo Ramirez, a 22-year-old Mexican national, was arrested and charged with evading arrest with a motor vehicle, failure to identify and harboring a runaway child all misdemeanors.

On Tuesday, a DPS trooper attempted to stop a vehicle traveling north on US 77 and Boca Chica Boulevard in Brownsville for a traffic violation.

According to the release, the driver, identified as Ramirez, didnt stop, which initiated a vehicle pursuit through city and residential streets which resulted in Ramirez crashing into a home.

With the assistance of the Brownsville police, the 14-year-old girl was released into the custody of a legal guardian after the trooper determined through investigative techniques, according to officials, the female passenger was reported as a runaway.

According to officials, an investigation into the relationship between Ramirez and the child passenger is being conducted with assistance from the Texas Rangers Division.

Excerpt from:

Traffic stop in Brownsville results in rescue of 14-year-old runaway child - Brownsville Herald

Global Nootropics Market Potential Growth, Demand by Regions, Types and Analysis of Key Players;Research Forecasts to 2027|Takeda Pharmaceutical…

Posted on by

Nootropics market is expected to gain market growth in the forecastperiod of 2020 to 2027. Data Bridge Market Research analyses the market is growing at a healthy CAGR in the above-mentioned research forecast period. To improve the cognitive ability worldwide and emerging markets are the factors responsible for the growth of this market.

The Global nootropics Market Analysis to 2027 is a specialized and in-depth study of the market with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of the global market with detailed market segmentation by service, technology, industry vertical, and geography. The global market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period.The report aims to provide an overview of Global nootropics Market along with detailed segmentation of market by applications, end-users and five major geographical regions. Global nootropics market is expected to witness an aggressive growth during the forecast period.

Download Sample PDF Copy of[emailprotected]https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-nootropics-market

The major players covered in the nootropics market are Novartis AG, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Cephalon A/S, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., and Mylan N.V., among others.

Global Nootropics Market Drivers:

To improve the cognitive ability worldwide and emerging markets are the factors responsible for the growth of this market.

However, to increase physical & mental ability of adults pharmaceutical industries regular working on the nootropics substances and easily availability of OTC nootropics will drive the global nootropics market. But, lack of awareness in developing countries, overdose adverse effects and acceptance of substance in different regions may hamper the global nootropics market.

Geographical Division of the Market

The market is geographically Divided into various regions such as

To know more about the study @https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-nootropics-market

Global Nootropics Market Scope and Market Size

Nootropics market is segmented on the basis of type, indication, route of administration, end-users and distribution channel.

For More Insights Get Detailed TOC @https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-nootropics-market

About Us:

Data Bridge Market Researchset forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge Market Research provides appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.

Data Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. GetCustomizationandDiscounton Report by emailing[emailprotected]. We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate.

Contact:

Data Bridge Market ResearchUS: +1 888 387 2818UK: +44 208 089 1725Hong Kong: +852 8192 7475Email:[emailprotected]

More:

Global Nootropics Market Potential Growth, Demand by Regions, Types and Analysis of Key Players;Research Forecasts to 2027|Takeda Pharmaceutical...

Fun Gifts For Technology Lovers–Any Time Of Year! – knue.com

Posted on by

Although birthday parties and celebrations of any kind look quite a bit different this year, that doesn't mean we can't still send joy-inducing gifts to those we love. In fact, we don't need a holiday at all to find a reason to surprise a friend or partner with a gift. It could be the cheering up they need during the pandemic stress-festival in which we find ourselves.

For our tech-loving, forward-thinking friends, a gift card to [insert restaurant] is nice, as always. But what if you could surprise them with something cutting-edge, futuristic, and tech-y. Need a few ideas?

Well, speaking of the future,Futurism.comis here to help. Here are a few recommended ideas for your consideration:

Miracle Sheets.Um, WHAT? What on earth are miracle sheets? Well, to be as synoptic as possible, "Miracle Sheets are made with pure silver fibers that kill 99.9% of bacteriathrough a natural process called ionization. That means Miracle Sheets stays fresh three times longer than regular sheets, which means you do three times less laundryandyour bed doesnt stink."

Um, wow. So in addition to helping your friend take steps to lessen their carbon footprint, they also won't have to wash their sheets as often. They also come in various sizes and colors and come with a 30-day trial period.

Qualia Nootropic Energy Drink.Well, I've personally noticed that tech lovers and energy drinks are often somewhat acquainted with one another. Hey, it takes lots of alertness to keep up with all of these new technological advances.Qualia Nootropic Energy Drinkclaims to make your brain work more efficiently.

How? Well, it's not just via the extra caffeine and sugar that is usually a key component of these energizing beverages. According to the makers, it is "designed to enhance mental and athletic performance, boost memory and productivity, and promote alertness and focus. The main ingredients inQualia Nootropic Energyare compounds called nootropics, which the brain uses as fuel for cognition." Learn morehere.

You may have also noticed there seems to be a connection between lovers of tech and lovers of sci-fi--which makes sense if you think about it. Thus, check out thisClassic Dune Board Game,which is based on the novelDunebyFrank Herbert--arguably "one of the most popular and influential science fiction novels of all time," and is of course now a movie and has since been re-done. Basically, you get to scheme and wage war to gain as much control of the precious element "melange" as possible.

Wanna a few more ideas? Take a lookhere.

Continued here:

Fun Gifts For Technology Lovers--Any Time Of Year! - knue.com

Solar Opposites EPs Tease Whats To Come On Season 2 Of Hulu Animated Comedy Comic-Con@Home – Deadline

Posted on by

The Shlorpians made an appearance on Day 2 of Comic-Con@Home to drop an exclusive clip and talk about taking on the haters in the sophomore season of Hulus most-watched animated series, which has already been greenlit for a third season ahead of the second season premiere.

Theres nothing we hate more than haters and we really bring to the haters the second season We take it to the haters pretty strong and also camp. We make fun of camp and haters, teased executive producer Mike McMahan, who was joined for the pre-recorded session by EP Josh Bycel and cast Justin Roiland, who is also an EP, Thomas Middleditch, Sean Giambrone, and Mary Mack.

Season 2 will also explore interesting class stuff when they discover that theres another group of people that are there, said said Bycel. Theyve never had to worry about class as aliens. We have a great episode where Terry is obsessed with dinner parties and Korvo is terrible at dinner parties and says all the wrong things.

Related Story'Star Trek: Lower Decks': CBS All Access Unveils Opening Scene Of New Animated Series - Comic-Con@Home

Comic-Con@Home: Deadlines Complete Coverage Of Virtual Confab

The show centers around a team of four aliens who escape their exploding home world only to crash land into a move-in ready home in suburban America. They are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome. Korvo (Roiland) and Yumyulack (Giambrone) only see the pollution, crass consumerism, and human frailty while Terry (Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) love humans and all their TV, junk food and fun stuff. Their mission: protect the Pupa, a living super computer that will one day evolve into its true form, consume them and terraform the Earth.

McMahan and Roiland are some of the creatives behind hit animation series Rick and Morty so naturally, the question of a potential crossover was posed.

As everybody knows, the first thing you do when youre creating a new show is you start to think about all the crossovers you can do. Weve already written the Transformers cross, the Star Wars crossover, Muppet Baby crossover, the Captain Crunch crossover, McMahan remarked.

Comic-Con@Home: This Years Schedule Of Key TV & FilmPanels

We got to get these corporations on board to make nice with each other and lend the IP, said Roiland pointing out the challenge of bringing shows that are owned by competing companies together.

But that challenge doesnt stop the writers from coming up with a gameplan if a crossover were to happen.

I know what we would do if we did a Rick and Morty crossover. Itll be everybody sitting in a room and theyll be writing emails asking the Power Rangers to do a crossover with Star Trek the whole time,

Season 1 of Solar Opposites is currently available to stream on Hulu.

How To Watch This Years Comic-Con@Home Online

See more here:

Solar Opposites EPs Tease Whats To Come On Season 2 Of Hulu Animated Comedy Comic-Con@Home - Deadline